I really enjoy saying the word goulash. Try to say it without smiling. Goo-La-Shhhh. And I tend to use it as a general term for anything messy. “Kids, you better not spill that goulash on the couch!” Well, it turns out that the word goulash comes from a Hungarian word that means herdsmen. Apparently the shepherds would prepare their dinner in a pot over a fire out in the fields, the original recipe for goulash. I’m guessing that my recipe for Turkey Goulash with Apple and Bacon is pretty far off from that original recipe crafted by herdsmen in Central Europe back in the 9th century. My version is also different from many recipes that are popular today. For one you’ll notice that instead of traditional noodles we are using flat zucchini noodles to lighten it up. Also I topped my goulash dinner with Coconut Sour Cream.
3 strips bacon, chopped
2 pounds ground turkey
sea salt and black pepper
2 apples, seeded and diced
2 yellow onions, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons sweet paprika
1 tablespoon ground cumin
juice of 1 lemon
2½ cups broth (chicken or bone)
5 medium zucchinis
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
coconut sour cream(optional)
Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crispy. Transfer the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon.
Add the ground turkey to the pot in the bacon drippings, cook, breaking it into smaller pieces. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the apples, onions, bell pepper, thyme and bay leaf. Cook until the onions soften, about 5 minutes. Mix in the paprika and cumin.
Return the bacon back to the pot, along with the lemon juice and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until the goulash thickens.
Use a veggie peeler to peel the zucchini into flat noodles in a large bowl. Toss with the olive oil and season with sea salt. Mix in the parsley and dill.
Serve the goulash warm over zucchini noodles with a dollop of coconut sour cream. Enjoy!
Calories: 360
Fat: 18g
Carbohydrates: 19g
Sodium: 359mg
Fiber: 5g
Protein: 37g
Sugar: 10g